The Best of 2018

The time has come to think critically about the shows I saw last year and select the creme de la creme. It’s a tough job, but I’m prepared to do it. Here we go.

Top 10 Shows of 2018 (in chronological order) 1. Emancipator Ensemble – Brooklyn Steel 2. Lorde – Barclays Center 3. Gramatik – Upstate Concert Hall 4. Matt and Kim – Brooklyn Steel 5. Remember Jones (808s and Heartbreak tribute) – Brooklyn Bowl 6. The Glitch Mob – Schimanski 7. Umphrey’s McGee – The Stone Pony 8. Pretty Lights – Red Rocks Amphitheatre 9. Big Data – Gramercy Theatre 10. Manic Focus – Brooklyn Bowl

Top 10 Festival Sets of 2018 1. Rezz – Minus Zero 2. Aerosmith – Jazz Fest 3. Tipper – Camp Bisco 4. The Floozies – Camp Bisco 5. The Funk Hunters – Camp Bisco 6. Big Wild – Camp Bisco 7. Robert Delong – Panorama 8. Odesza – Panorama 9. RL Grime – Hijinx 10. Odesza – Hijinx

10 Worst Shows of 2018 As with last year I’m not doing this list anymore, but believe you me, there were some less than stellar regular concerts and festival sets. Inquire within!

And the award goes to…

Coolest Weather Event Tipper at Minus Zero. The snow created some seriously beautiful glitter lasers.

Biggest Disappointment My friend and I missed almost all of Run the Jewels’ opening set for Lorde. For no good reason, we just assumed it would start later. While RTJ was playing we were near the Barclays Center, eating hot dogs at Shake Shack and taking our unfortunate sweet time to go inside. Runner up: showing up to Lindsey Stirling at the Beacon Theatre and realizing it was a Christmas show. Second runner up: making it to the Garden in time for Childish Gambino’s encore. At least my ticket was free.

Best CrowdMinus Zero. I don’t know how a few thousand people dancing outdoors in 15 degree weather could possibly be so happy, but this was the best festival energy I’ve ever experienced.

Weirdest Crowd The Little Mermen, Gramercy Theatre. The Little Mermen is a band that does rock covers of Disney songs. I probably could have assumed that there are some Disney-obsessed folk out there, but the thought had honestly never crossed my mind until that night. The level of Disney fandom was sort of frightening.

Best Throwback Show Barenaked Ladies/Better Than Ezra, Coney Island Amphitheatre Runner up: Everclear at Irving Plaza

Worst Throwback Show Sheryl Crow at Jazz Fest. From where we were standing it sounded like a recording, although I’m sure it wasn’t.

Most Consistent PerformerRJD2 at Brooklyn Bowl. I saw him play this venue in January 2015, January 2016, and January 2018. The shows were remarkably similar, with the same opening and closing bits, the same guest vocalists doing the same songs, and many of the same tracks. I’m sad he took off in 2017 (and 2019, apparently) because even though the shows were the same, I loved them.

Least Consistent Performer Remember Jones. The Kanye West tribute at Brooklyn Bowl was my favorite show of the year, hands down. He performed with a 24 piece orchestra and it really brought the 808s and Heartbreak album to life. A few months later I went back for a tribute to Amy Winehouse, and it really fell flat for me.

Most Pleasant SurpriseWalking into the HP pavilion at Panorama to try to get a free water bottle and stumbling upon a completely unadvertised Macklemore DJ set. Runner up: Hijinx Festival at the Philadelphia Convention Center. I’ll get to writing a festival recap sometime soon, but this event exceeded my expectations in pretty much every way.

Best Venue (NYC) The Knitting Factory

Best Venue (Non-NYC) House of Blues, Houston. I wish we had a HOB here.

Best Non-Typo Typo Every time I saw a promo for “Sven Lions” I laughed and laughed at how no one noticed or corrected this obvious typo for “Seven Lions.” Until I learned that Sven Lions is Seven Lions’s psy-trance alter ego and it is not a typo at all.

Moment I Would Most Like to Relive Forever Pretty Lights’s rendition of “Shakedown Street” to close out the first night of Red Rocks.

Don’t forget to check out all my 2018 concert stats over here!